[delirium]

I would like to add one more suggestion into your list.

Cayin has announced a new tube headphone amplifier HA-6A recently, it is a KT88/EL34 switchable design and the Empyrean works very well with the El34 version. This combo was demoed at Canjam Shanghai and definitely will be seen in other shows down the road.

Nice

 

[delirium]

Are you sure your seal is good? It is easy to have a gap around the bottom/back edge with Empy cups. A little swivelling around easily solves this issue. Also, the bass feels tighter with leather pads versus velour.
At the end of the day perhaps this bass is just not for you? In my experience the LCD4 has slightly better bass than the Empy; cleaner and tighter. But even as a bass addict I am very happy with the Empy's bass being a very close second in this regard. Not to mention that lifelike mid section and opened treble vs. the LCD4.
Utopia is tight and fast, but doesn't have the meaty and substantial bass of Empy. Also, HEKSE has a more spacious bass, but nowhere near as organic and satisfying as Empy bass. At least to my taste. YMMV.

I have the silver cable from meze..could have something to do with it...silverplatet...needs burn in.but i found myself playing very
loud on this empyrean? Nothing wrong with the seal

 

[betula]

I have the silver cable from meze..could have something to do with it...silverplatet...needs burn in

Man, if you have put 200hrs into Empy and still don't like the sound, perhaps you should just let it go. It is unlikely anything will change after 200hrs. I was immediately impressed and mesmerised by Empy out of TT2/MScaler at my audition. I can't afford an MScaler just yet, but I am pretty happy with the TT2 only.
Perhaps you just prefer a different grip on sound presentation. Perhaps you should just stick with the Utopia then... We all like different things. Especially on this level.

 

[mixman]

There is bass..but not tight
enough
for me..i guess.

Are you talking about the quantity or quality of the Empyrean bass? Saying the Empyrean has no bass is like saying the Utopia doesn’t have enough treble!

 

[Bonddam]

You must of got the no bass edition.

 

[delirium]

Are you talking about the quantity or quality of the Empyrean bass? Saying the Empyrean has no bass is like saying the Utopia doesn’t have enough treble!

probably quality..but i did not say i did not like them...? It is yust that i have never played so loud on tt2...and empyrean is easy to drive right..-12 -15 on high gain..does not sound right to me..but then they become more alive...

 

[Coffee Music]

The Empyrean has trained my ears up to the level of a screwing falling onto the ground and I can locate exactly where it is without looking

 

[delirium]

Man, if you have put 200hrs into Empy and still don't like the sound, perhaps you should just let it go. It is unlikely anything will change after 200hrs. I was immediately impressed and mesmerised by Empy out of TT2/MScaler at my audition. I can't afford an MScaler just yet, but I am pretty happy with the TT2 only.
Perhaps you just prefer a different grip on sound presentation. Perhaps you should just stick with the Utopia then... We all like different things. Especially on this level.

I did not say i did not like the sound..but
thought it had more bass..and more quality bass perhaps.

 

[betula]

I did not say i did not like the sound..but
thought it had more bass..and more quality bass perhaps.

More bass quantity and more bass quality compared to Utopia and HEKSE?
I think Empy definitely has more bass quantity than those. Quality is also not much behind, but definitely a different presentation. Utopia has quicker transients that might come across as cleaner/faster bass, but it is definitely thinner than Empy bass. HEKSE is very spacious, but again doesn't have the meatiness of Empy bass.
I am not quite sure what is going on here... I think it is just about different tastes...

 

[delirium]

More bass quantity and more bass quality compared to Utopia and HEKSE?
I think Empy definitely has more bass quantity than those. Quality is also not much behind, but definitely a different presentation. Utopia has quicker transients that might come across as cleaner/faster bass, but it is definitely thinner than Empy bass. HEKSE is very spacious, but again doesn't have the meatiness of Empy bass.
I am not quite sure what is going on here... I think it is just about different tastes...

I will yust give it some more time...as they say....time will tell...thanks for input...

 

[Coffee Music]

You must of got the no bass edition.

LOL

 

[thecrow]

My experience:
Utopia: great precision, exceptional detail, ok soundstage width.
Hekse: very good precision and definition (including tight sound), very good detail, very good width, can be somewhat quite forgiving of bad recordings.
Empyrean: Good detail, good width, good at being forgiving of bad recordings

i used to say that the hekse could at times be a little too bright/energetic up top but since i bought the utopias i found the hekse are not like that (due to my adjustments

i have recently been (surprisingly) very impressed with how the hekse sounds like straight out of my ipad mini

YMMV

 

[Coffee Music]

My experience:
Utopia: great precision, exceptional detail, ok soundstage width.
Hekse: very good precision and definition (including tight sound), very good detail, very good width, can be somewhat quite forgiving of bad recordings.
Empyrean: Good detail, good width, good at being forgiving of bad recordings

i used to say that the hekse could at times be a little too bright/energetic up top but since i bought the utopias i found the hekse are not like that (due to my adjustments

i have recently been (surprisingly) very impressed with how the hekse sounds like straight out of my ipad mini

YMMV

I'm sad that you used words like "very good", "great", "exceptional" to describe everything but the Empyrean.

I shed a tear listening to the Empyrean today.

 

[thecrow]

I'm sad that you used words like "very good", "great", "exceptional" to describe everything but the Empyrean.

I shed a tear listening to the Empyrean today.

I’m the russian judge - a harsh marker

good is still GOOOOODD!!!!

The three descriptions are only relative to each other

 

[Beagle]

Empyrean: Good detail, good width, good at being forgiving of bad recordings

YMMV

Could that be interpreted as meaning the Empyrean holds some detail back that should be reproduced for the sake of accuracy? A "nice" headphone?

I have a few of those.